Controlling device for pressure-fluid engines.



A. E. N ORRIS. GONTEOLLING DEVICE EoR PRESSURE FLUID ENGINES.APPLIO'ATION FIL-BD IBB. 10| 1909.

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, UNiTED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

ALMONVE. NORRIS, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR PRESSURE-FLUID ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application led January 18, 1908, Serial No. 411,466. Dividedand this application filed February io, i909.

To all 'whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, ALMON E. NoRRIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Controlling Devices forPressure-Fluid Engines, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to controlling devices for pressure fluid engines,the same being shown as embodied in the form of a steam engine throttlevalve.

The present application, as to certain features, is a division of myprior application, Serial No. 411,466, filed January 18, 1908.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsshowing one specic embodiment thereof, while its scope will be moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a central,

sectional elevation showing a throttle valve embodying one form ot myinvention; Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the throttle valve in adiierent position from that shown;

in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail in plan on the line 3 3 in Fig.1; Fig. 4t is a sectional detail in plan on the line i-4 in Fig.

1; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view in ele-.

vation showing the application of the described orm of throttle valve toa steam engine.

Referring to the embodiment of my inven.

tion shown in the drawings and rst more particularly to Fig. 5, I havethere shown conventionally a steam engine having the cylinder 1 to whichleads the supply pipe 2, in which is interposed the throttle valve 3. Ifan ordinary throttle valve were employed, as soon as steam were shut offfrom the engine cylinder a certain amount of pressure iuid would betrapped and remain in the cylinder. Such would be apt to cause acreeping or continuation of the engine movement if the throttle wereclosed to stop the engine, due to the expansion of the trapped pressurefluid within the cylinder, or if it were desired to allow the drivenmember to turn the engine backward, it would act to prevent such freebackward movement. For certain classes of work this engine creepingmovement after the pressure supply has been Serial No. 477,060.

shut off is undesirable, and, in many cases,

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

I have herein associated A with the engine a throttle valve of improvedA construction and such that, when closed, it not only shuts otf thepressure supply from the cylinder but relieves the pressure within thecylinder by opening the latter to the ex-v haust sufficiently to clearthe cylinder of the trapped pressure fluid, rendering the engineineifective for moving the driven part and leaving it free to be drivenbackward by the driven member or load. In the form herein shown suchthrottle valve consists of the main body or casing t having an interiorchamber adapted to receive the sliding throttle valve member 5.

The supply pipe 6 (Fig. 5) is connected to the supply or entranceopening 7 of the valve casing, which latter opens into an annularchamber 8, the latter having the supply port 9 controlled by the loweredge or wall of the valve member 5. When the valve member is lifted tothe position shown in Fig. 2, steam can pass from the supply chamber 8through the port 9 to the lower part of the valve chamber, whence itpasses through the connecting passage 10 to the v Aexit opening 11 ofthe valve casing and thence, through the supply pipe engine cylinder.

In order to connect the engine cylinder with the exhaust, when the valveis closed, the valve member is constructed in the form of a hollowcylinder through which the lower end of the valve chamber, and hence theexit passage 11, may be connected with an annu- 2, to the lar exhaustchamber 12, the latter surrounding the valve member 5 near its upperend, such exhaust chamber having connection, through the exhaust opening13, with the exhaust pipe 14 (see Fig. 5). Referring more particularlyto the detailed construction ot' the valve member, the cylindrical shelloi' the latter is stitfened both at the top and the bottom by tourradial webs 15, the cylindrical walls of the shell being alsostrengthened by tour longitudinal ribs 16 which extend lengthwise theshell on the inside thereof and connecting the ends of the web 15. Theshell is surmounted by the arched piece 17 suitably attached to the stem18 and of such dimensions that it readily passes 'within the contractedopening 19 in the end of thevalve chamber, such'openinghowever (as shown.in Fig. 2), closely fitting the valve shell when the latter 1s lifted.

The upper end-of the valve casing is closed by a suitable cap 20carrying the packing 'gia-nd 21', .through which passes :the valve. stem18. The end of the stemY is provided with the eye 22 to which may besecured any suitable form of valve-actuating device, there beingpreferably provided the collar v23 adjustably fixed on the stem andabutting @against the compression spring 24, the op- Apositefend ofwhich latter abuts against the fixed yoke or plate 25 secured to theupright rods 26 which are secured to the cap .20. The spring, therefore,normally acts to lclose the valve, moving thesame to the position ushownin Fig. 1 where the nut 27,

1 pinned to the stein 18, is seated against the fixed plate 25. With thevalve depressed as shown in Fig. 1 admission of steam is cut off fromthelower end of the valve chamber by reason of the closure of the admissionport`9 while, at the same time, the exhaust chamber 12 is opened to theinterior of the I valve and thereby to the pipe 2 and the cylinder spaceby reason of the depression of the upper wall or edge of the shell belowthecontracted chamber opening 19. The trapped pressure fluid in thecylinder, therefore, readily passes out from the cylinder through Vthepipe 2, -admission opening 11, Y passage 10, to the valve chamber, andfrom Y upper edge of the valve,

the valve chamber through the interior of the shell to the'exhaustchamber about the as represented by the arrows in Fig. 1. When the stemis lmovedup to lift the valveto the position represented in Fig. 2, theexhaust chamber Vis out olf from communication with the interior of thevalve by the entrance of the upper edge or wall of the shell within thecontracted wall portion 19. v

It is to be observed that the upper end of the valvechamber within thecap 20 is at Y all times in free communication with the lower end of thevalve chamber through the Vhollow interior of the valve interiorv of thevalve wit whether the lattermbe positioned as in Fi 1 to connect the lthe exhaust, or positioned as in Fig. 2 to connect the valve i interiorwith the pressure supply.

nected as Vto effect, when closed, a double connection with the exhaust.For this purpose herein the shell of the valve is provided VVwith anintermediate-port 29, herein in the Les form' of a circumferentialgroove cut entirely through the walls of thev shell except at the fourribs 16, which latter, in the vicinity of the port 29, arethickenedasshown to strengthen the shell at that aoint.

In the depressed position o the valve represented in Fig. 1 pressurefluid is permitted .freely-to pass out from the interior of the valve tothe exhaust chamber 12 through the port 29, thereby acting to supplementthe exhaust which is effected about the upper edge of the valve andacting therefore instantaneously to relieve the pressure trapped withinthe cylinder and maintain the latter open to the atmosphere. In theupper position of the valve (Fig. 2), the port 29 is cut off fromcommunication with the exhaust chamber by entrance into a closelyfitting opening provided in a wall portion 30 projecting laterally fromthe valve casing into the exhaust chamber 12.

Opposite ends of the valve chamber being in communication at all times,the valve rcmains in an approximately balanced condition. In order torender the valve completely balanced there is provided the stem portion31 projecting downwardly from the valve member and secured centrallythereto at the junction point of the radial webs 15. The stem 81 assesthrough a closely fitting opening in tiie lower wall 32 of the valvechamber, where its end is exposed to the pressure within the balancingchamber 33, which latter, however, is connected by the passage 84C withthe exhaust chamber 12 and the exhaust pipe 14. The cross-sectional areaof the stem 31 being substantially the same as that of the main valvestem 18, the valve member remains at all times in a condition ofbalanced pressure.

While I have herein shown and described one specific form of myinvention and one specific application thereof for the purposes ofillustrating it in concrete form, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the details of construction or the specificrelation or arrangement of parts, but that extensive deviations may bemade from the form described herein contained without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described one form of my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a pressure fluid engine, of a controlling devicetherefor having means for connecting said engine with or disconnectingthe same from a source of pressure iiuid and also means forsimultaneously connecting the said engine with the exhaust at the timeof its disconnection from the pressure Huid supply, thereby to relievethe engine of the pressure fluid trapped therein.

2. The combination with a pressure Huid engine, of an engine throttlevalve connected in the supply pipe therefor, said valve having means forrelieving the pressure trapped in said engine when said throttle valveis closed.

3. A throttle valve provided with a valve chamber, a hollow cylindricalvalve member adapted to move therein, a cylindei` admission openingcommunicating with one end of said valve and adapted to be placed incommunication with a pressure fluid supply chamber when said valve ismoved axially, and an exhaust opening adapted to be placed incommunication with the opposite end of the valve when the latter' ismoved to a closed position.

4C. A throttle valve having a valve chamber, a hollow valve, an exhaustchamber, a pressure supply chamber and a cylinder chamber, said valvebeing connected to open communication between the cylinder chamber andthe exhaust chamber about one edge of the valve, when in one position,while cutting off communication between the cylinder chamber and thepressure supplychamber, and, in another position, to open the cylinderchamber to the pressure supply chamber about the opposite edge of thevalve, while cutting off communication between the cylinder chamber andthe exhaust chamber.

5. A throttle valve having a valve member provided with a cut-olf wallfor cutting olf a suitable pressure fiuid supply chamber from, oropening the same to, the valve chamber, and provided also with aplurality of cut-olf walls for simultaneously opening the valve chamberto the exhaust or cutting off the same from communication therewith.

6. A throttle valve having a valve chamber, a hollow cylindrical valvemember adapted to slide therein, the opposite ends of the valve chamberbeing in free communication through the hollow interior of the valve,and the valve chamber being in communication with the supply pipe of theengine or other apparatus in connection with which said valve isemployed, an exhaust chamber adapted in one position of the valve to beopened to the valve chamber about one edge of the valve, and a pressurefluid supply chamber adapted in another position of the valve to beopened to said valve chamber about the opposite edge of the valve.

7. A throttle valve comprising a valve member adapted to be moved toshut off the supply of pressure fluid from the supply opening of thevalve, and simultaneously to connect the same with the exhaust, andpressure balancing means for said valve.

8. The combination with a pressure fluid engine having a supply pipe ofcontrolling means therefor in the supply pipe, the same comprising asingle movable controlling member for simultaneously connecting theengine with the exhaust and disconnecting the engine from the pressurefluid supply or vice versa.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALMON E. NORRIS.

itnesses THOMAS B. BOOTH, IRvING U. ToWNsEND.

